Luka Jantjie
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Kgosi (Chief) Luka Jantjie was a hunter, trader, diamond prospector, and farmer. He was a chief of the Batlhaping ba Manyeding group of the Batswana in Kuruman. He was born in general area of what is now Kimberley, South Africa in about 1835 and was the son of a Christian convert. Jantjie spent most of his life protecting the rights to land of his people and is considered a struggle hero for his battle against British colonialism. He was the cousin of Kgosi Galeshewe.
Luka Mpolokeng Jantjie | |
---|---|
Personal details | |
Born | 1835 South Africa |
Died | 1897 Kimberley |
Resistance and conflict
When
Over the next decade, the Batlhaping, Tlharo and Rolong people were evicted from much of their land and confined to reserves. In 1895, the area was annexed by the Cape Colony which resulted in Tswana groups being moved to even smaller reserves. These groups were also forced to pay taxes such as the hut tax, to work on white farms, and as migrant mine workers for the Kimberley mine.[3] In addition the Rinderpest regulations and the shooting of cattle owned by Africans in the Taung Reserves were undertaken. After Jantjie's cattle were shot, he demanded of the policeman in charge, Corporal Denyssen, to know why his cattle were shot. He was shown a policy on Rinderpest and cattle roaming out of the owner's territory. He then demanded compensation from the corporal, which was refused.[4] These events sparked the Langeberg Rebellion. The rebellion was led by Batlhaping chief Kgosi Galeshewe.
Death and Significance
In August 1897, the colonial police invaded the Langeberg Mountains where Jantjie and other rebels had orchestrated a last stand, in a violent series of actions. Jantjie was discovered by Temple Smythe, a member of the Cape Medical Staff Corps, (in a cave on the Gamasep Kopje near Olifantshoek. Jantjie opened fire upon Smythe's approach with his companions, killing two, however, his gun misfired. Smythe took this opportunity and shot Jantjie in the head with a revolver. Full description page 256 (Luka Jantjie: Resistance Hero of the South African Frontier) [5] As a sign of humiliation and a warning to other rebels, it was reported that, while Jantjie was dying, Smythe and his troops posed to take photos with him. When Jantjie died, the British troops decapitated his corpse and took his head as a trophy.
Jantjie's death is regarded as the collapse of the Tswana resistance. In the aftermath, 4 000 men, women and children of the Bwere were taken captive and sent to the Cape Colony to work as unpaid labour for local white farmers. Many of the rebels were hanged for their contribution in orchestrating the rebellion. The rebellion officially ended on 3 August 1897 following the death of over 1 500 men.[6] Currently there is no record of where Jantjie's remains are buried, nor the fate of his skull.
In 2011 the book Luka Jantjie: Resistance Hero of the South African Frontier was published. Authored by Kevin Shillington, the book recounts Jantjie's legacy and contributions. In April 2016, a building on Sol Plaatje University campus, Kimberley, was renamed Luka Jantjie House in Jantjie's honor.
References
- ^ "Kgosi Luka Jantjie: A hero resisting British dominance". Press Reader. The New Age. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- ^ "Kgosi Jantjie honoured". News24. News 24. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- ISBN 9781440849060.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ISBN 0306477890.
- ^ "Luka Jantjie: Pieces of the puzzle". Wordpress. Word Press.com. 1 July 2007. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- ^ Mathews, Gary (14 October 2011). "Resistance hero of the South African Frontier". Wits Press. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
See also
- Kgosi Galeshewe
- Kimberley, Northern Cape
- Batswana
- Bechuanaland
- Rolong tribe
- Tswana people
- Rinderpest
- Taung